I have been practicing Yoga seriously for over 40 years and every year it is more and more exciting.
In the beginning, Yoga was all about my health. At 29 years of age and after the break-up of my marriage, I was a nervous wreck.
The doctor recommended Valium, the drug of the day, and my mother recommended Yoga. Fortunately, for me, my mother won out.
Yoga worked practically instantly. After the first class, I felt better than I had in ages. And, within a few years, my body was more flexible and I was emotionally stronger and more grounded.
However, Yoga made me cry. As my body opened—repressed emotions, along with tears, anger, pain and the sorrow of a failed marriage poured out. This woke me up to the choices I had made, what led to them and the grief they caused.
Afterwards, the nourishing energy of Prana infused my body. Prana is a Sanskrit word that translates as, pra,“to bring forth” and na, “the eternal cosmic vibration.”
Yogis believe Prana streams into every nook and cranny of our bodies via 72,000 (some say 350,000!) nadis or “little streams”, unless these conduits are blocked by emotional blockages and scripting.
Prana can be compared to chi in Acupuncture and the nadis relate to the meridians. In Yoga, like in Chinese medicine, when Prana streams through the nadis, healing occurs.
Prana made me feel more whole, alive and free. It awakened my dreams and pulled me towards life-affirming directions, in spite of my on-going challenges and limitations.
Aligning my bones in Asana, not only made my body more aligned and graceful, it increased Prana! Surges of Prana awakened Kundalini, a heightened form of Prana that runs up the centre channel (spine.) I learned to use Kundalini to dissolve daily stress, stuck emotional blockages and conditioned patterns.
In addition, breathing with my proper breathing muscles (Muscles of Respiration) heightened Prana. Soon I was a Prana breathing machine! Since nothing of a lower vibration enters into a higher energy field because it is dissolved on contact—I was less affected by what was around me. This helped me to see my life more clearly and gain control of my choices.
Listening and acting on the ‘whisperings’ of inspiration fed by Prana kept me calm in adversity, awake in times of stress and able to give out hope and love to those in need.
At 73 years of age, Yoga keeps me forever young, alive and excited by the world around me.
Sandra Sammartino
www.sammartinoyoga.com
In the beginning, Yoga was all about my health. At 29 years of age and after the break-up of my marriage, I was a nervous wreck.
The doctor recommended Valium, the drug of the day, and my mother recommended Yoga. Fortunately, for me, my mother won out.
Yoga worked practically instantly. After the first class, I felt better than I had in ages. And, within a few years, my body was more flexible and I was emotionally stronger and more grounded.
However, Yoga made me cry. As my body opened—repressed emotions, along with tears, anger, pain and the sorrow of a failed marriage poured out. This woke me up to the choices I had made, what led to them and the grief they caused.
Afterwards, the nourishing energy of Prana infused my body. Prana is a Sanskrit word that translates as, pra,“to bring forth” and na, “the eternal cosmic vibration.”
Yogis believe Prana streams into every nook and cranny of our bodies via 72,000 (some say 350,000!) nadis or “little streams”, unless these conduits are blocked by emotional blockages and scripting.
Prana can be compared to chi in Acupuncture and the nadis relate to the meridians. In Yoga, like in Chinese medicine, when Prana streams through the nadis, healing occurs.
Prana made me feel more whole, alive and free. It awakened my dreams and pulled me towards life-affirming directions, in spite of my on-going challenges and limitations.
Aligning my bones in Asana, not only made my body more aligned and graceful, it increased Prana! Surges of Prana awakened Kundalini, a heightened form of Prana that runs up the centre channel (spine.) I learned to use Kundalini to dissolve daily stress, stuck emotional blockages and conditioned patterns.
In addition, breathing with my proper breathing muscles (Muscles of Respiration) heightened Prana. Soon I was a Prana breathing machine! Since nothing of a lower vibration enters into a higher energy field because it is dissolved on contact—I was less affected by what was around me. This helped me to see my life more clearly and gain control of my choices.
Listening and acting on the ‘whisperings’ of inspiration fed by Prana kept me calm in adversity, awake in times of stress and able to give out hope and love to those in need.
At 73 years of age, Yoga keeps me forever young, alive and excited by the world around me.
Sandra Sammartino
www.sammartinoyoga.com